2 weeks ago
The U.S. military plans to return to Chad wrong a period for talks astir revising an statement that allows it to support troops based there, an American wide said Wednesday.
The U.S. said past period it was withdrawing astir of its contingent of astir 100 troops from Chad aft nan authorities questioned nan legality of their operations there. This followed Niger's determination to bid each U.S. troops retired of nan country, dealing a rustle to U.S. subject operations successful nan Sahel, a immense region southbound of nan Sahara godforsaken wherever groups linked to al-Qaida and nan Islamic State group operate.
US TO PULL TROOPS FROM CHAD AND NIGER AS THE AFRICAN NATIONS QUESTION ITS COUNTERTERRORISM ROLE
U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, nan commandant of U.S. Africa Command, made nan comments to reporters successful Ghana astatine nan 2nd yearly African Maritime Forces Summit, aliases AMFS.
Gen. Michael Langley, USMC, Commander, U.S. Africa Command, testifies during a Senate committee proceeding connected Senate Armed Services proceeding to analyse nan posture of United States Central Command and United States Africa Command, Thursday, March 16, 2023, connected Capitol Hill successful Washington. The U.S. subject plans to return to Chad wrong a period for talks astir revising an statement that allows it to support troops based there, an American wide said Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
He said nan withdrawal of U.S. troops from Chad was expected to beryllium temporary, and Chad had communicated to Washington that it wanted to proceed nan information business aft nan statesmanlike predetermination there.
"We’ll travel backmost for discussions wrong a period to spot successful what ways, and what they need, to beryllium capable to build further successful their information conception and besides against terrorism," Langley said.
Government officials successful Chad couldn't instantly beryllium reached for comment. The statesmanlike predetermination successful Chad is scheduled for Monday, and analysts expect nan incumbent to win.
Chad’s interim president, Mahamat Deby Itno, seized powerfulness aft his father, who ran nan state for much than 3 decades, was killed fighting rebels successful 2021. Last year, nan authorities announced it was extending nan 18-month modulation for 2 much years, which led to protests crossed nan country.
Langley said nan withdrawal of U.S. forces was a impermanent measurement "as portion of an ongoing reappraisal of our information cooperation, which will resume aft Chad’s May 6 statesmanlike election."
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Both Chad and Niger person been integral to nan U.S. military’s efforts to antagonistic convulsive extremist organizations crossed nan Sahel region, but Niger’s ruling junta ended an statement past period that allows U.S. troops to run successful nan West African country.
Niger is location to a awesome U.S. aerial base, successful nan metropolis of Agadez, astir 550 miles from nan capital, Niamey, utilizing it for parented and unmanned surveillance flights and different operations. The U.S. has besides invested hundreds of millions of dollars successful training Niger’s military, since it began operations location successful 2013.
